9/25/12

iPhone 5 review

iPhone 5 review

The new iPhone is here – but is Apple in danger of delivering too little with its latest upgrade?

Page 1 of 16Introduction and design

The
excitement of the rumour mill, the titillation of every leaked photo
led to higher than ever levels of expectation over the iPhone 5
features, and while the announcement was greeted with some derision at
the lack of perceived headline improvements, the record sales tell an
entirely different story.
Given the underwhelming changes to the iPhone 4S,
the iPhone 5 launch really needs to re-energise customers to prove
Apple can repeat the game-changing trick it managed with the iPhone 4.
The iPhone 5 price is predictably high, so consumers will need to bear that in mind too when looking for their next smartphone.
So is the Apple iPhone 5 the greatest smartphone ever, one that finally see Apple ascend to the top spot in our 20 best mobile phones chart? Or is it a case of too little, too late?

Design

We'll
begin in the traditional manner: how the thing actually feels in the
hand. With the iPhone 5 there will be many types of prospective buyer:
the upgrader from the 4 (or more-money-than-sense iPhone 4S upgraders),
those tired of their Android handset and those taking their first steps
in the smartphone market and want to get one of them iThingies their
friend/child has.Well,
all of those picking up the iPhone 5 will have the same reaction: this
thing is amazingly light. You've probably heard the numbers by now (20
per cent lighter than the predecessor, as well as beating most of the
opposition too at 112g.)
It's an odd sensation, but it actually
detracts from the experience when you first pick it up. We've praised
the weighty feel of the iPhone in the past, lending it a premium feel in
the face of toy-like phones, and it's almost disappointing that Apple
decided to join that clan.
However, through extended use this
problem quickly disappears, as the overall effect of the phone is still a
chassis designed for strength, it just sits more anonymously in the
pocket.You'll
obviously see the change in height too – the iPhone 5 stands 123.8mm
tall to allow for the larger 4-inch screen. In truth, those not familiar
with the iPhone 4S probably wouldn't notice the difference, which is
why it's a good move from Apple to include the larger screen if it's not
going put people off that hate larger phones.The
decision to stick at 4-inches is Apple's admission that while it
recognises people are all over the idea of having more screen real
estate to play with it doesn't want to move away from the thumb-friendly
nature of the device.
Through a mixture of moving the centre of
gravity slightly as well as repositioning the screen within the bezel,
it's still possible to scroll your thumb mostly around the whole display
one-handed, which Apple is clearly keen to keep hold of.However,
we're not convinced of that argument any more, and the power button was
still a little out of reach when using the phone normally, as was
anything in the top left-hand corner of the screen. #
This was no
issue in reality, as scooting the phone down a touch in the palm is a
natural action. But if that's the case, then why not offer a 4.3-inch
screen at least?
There's more to a phone than a screen these days
(although increasingly less and less) and the general construction of
the iPhone 5 is excellent to say the least. We've
tested both the ceramic white version and the anodised black, and the
two tone effect on the back of the phone is stunning, both visually and
under the finger.
It doesn't beat the sheer beauty of the HTC One
S, with its micro-arc oxidised back and rounded lines, but it's
well-set in second place.The
two sections of pigmented glass at the top and the bottom of the phone
add a pleasant effect, and the sapphire glass is meant to be thoroughly
durable, to complement the Gorilla Glass on the front.
Apple
knows consumers get furious when they drop and iPhone, and is clearly
seeking to stop the smashes before they happen with a tougher exterior -
although it seems the anodised black version is more prone to
scratching, which means sadly you'll have to think about getting a cover
for that beautiful frame.
The same industrial band around the
outside is in effect again as on the iPhone 4 and 4S, with small
sections removed where the antenna joins.
Apple has gone for a
more advanced form of antenna here, meaning the days of lost signal are
gone, and generally increasing the power of your call connection and GPS
lock on too.There
are other big design changes here too: the headphone jack has moved to
the bottom of the phone, and the iconic 30-pin connector has been
retired in favour of the new Lightning port, giving a headache to all
those that have invested in chargers, docks and other accessories over
their iPhone lives.
You can buy an adaptor, but it's going to be
pricey: £25 or $30 when it lands in October. And unless you want to keep
it permanently attached to the bottom of the iPhone 5 you'll need to
buy a few, which is far from ideal.
However, let's not harangue
Apple too much for this: a smaller connector is not only easier to use
(you can plug the smaller cable in either way round, and the connection
feels more solid), but you're rewarded with a thinner and more compact
phone to boot.The
decision to move the 3.5mm headphone jack to the bottom is an odd one,
as while it allows you to slip the phone into the pocket head-first when
listening to music, which is a more natural action, it's a real pain in
the posterior for some apps that will only work in landscape a certain
way up.
Using it this way means your headphones experience will be one of having to jiggle the jack around two fingers.
It's
not the most comfortable way to hold a phone, and even when using the
phone in portrait mode, the jack gets in the way somewhat.
There
are other smaller design changes to the iPhone 5 too, such as the iSight
front-facing camera moving to the middle and the home button being
noticeably more robust to help reduce instances of a broken portal to
your home screen.But
enough about what the phone looks like - the killer question is how the
thing feels in hand. And we'll sum it up by saying: smooth. It's a
little slippery, and we were always worried we would drop the darned
thing.
But that's the only negative thing about the design (apart
from the low weight initially) as it sits in the palm nicely and allows
you to do it all with one hand, including hitting the top-mounted
power/lock button with ease.
That lock button is actually still
loose, as it was on the iPhone 4S, meaning when you shake the phone
around you can hear it clicking away, which undoes a lot of the premium
feel Apple is going for.
Make no mistake, the iPhone 5 is one of
the most beautifully crafted phones out there - but when you're paying
£529 ($199) up front for the thing, we'd hope this would be the very
minimum Apple would be doing. And
while it looks nice, from the front it doesn't really add much to the
design of the iPhone - it's certainly not the same as the jaw-dropping
design of the iPhone 4 compared to the 3GS... it's another evolution in
the iLine. It's not bad, but for those that hoped the iPhone 5 would be
another step change there's a good chance they'll be disappointed about
the look... until they feel the lovely back on offer.
There was a
real chance here for Apple: remove the bezel and give the front of the
screen a look that's similar to the OLED TVs from the likes of Samsung
or LG… but instead we're treated to the same lines as before.
You
always get the feeling that Apple saves what it can for the next
iteration of the iPhone, and while there's nothing wrong with the
current construction we can see the edge-to-edge screen becoming
something amazing on the iPhone 6.
from: http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/iphone-5-1096004/review